Belize City Woman is in Serious Trouble Over FB Scam

A woman, who used the name of Minister of Natural Resources Cordel Hyde on Facebook to scam a woman out of five hundred dollars, has been taken before the Belize City Magistrates Court. Thirty-seven-year-old Ada Ethel Toro is accused of obtaining property by deception. Toro appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate where she was read two counts of obtaining property by deception.   She pled not guilty. Allegations are that on February twelfth and February thirteenth, Toro obtained three hundred and two hundred dollars, respectively, from Natalie Gotoy who claims she paid into an account belonging Toro in exchange for assistance in acquiring a business booth on Mahogany Street.  But Gotoy said after she got a response from the person posing to be Minister Cordel Hyde to make the deposit, she later found out it was not the minister and so she reported the matter and requested court action. In a statement to Police, Minister Hyde indicated that he gave no such authorization for any business to be conducted on his behalf, nor did Toro work for his ministry.  Furthermore, according to Hyde’s report, he never gave Toro permission to use his picture on any Facebook page. Toro was granted bail of one thousand dollars and is set to return to court on April twenty-second. But, when Toro met bail she could not go free because personnel from the Crimes Investigation Branch were outside the court waiting for her. She was once again detained and escorted to the Queen Street Police Station where further charges are expected to be levied against her. More victims of Toro’s alleged scam have surfaced and have made reports against her.